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US 8,377,388 B2Granted
Cold plasma decontamination device
AssigneeBovie Medical Corporation
InventorGregory Konesky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cold plasma device for large area decontamination that can function as a scrub brush to sterilize surfaces and areas that are otherwise difficult, time-consuming and/or may cause exposure hazards under convention sterilization methods.
Claims20
A decontamination device comprising:
- a gas manifold having an input coupled to a gas source, the gas manifold having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface configured to be placed adjacent to a surface of an external object;
- a first plurality of output channels operatively formed on the first surface of the gas manifold, each output channel having an individual wire electrode with a sharp conductive point disposed therein;
- and
- a resistor network disposed adjacent to the second surface outside of the gas manifold and coupled to each of the individual wire electrodes, the resistor network further coupled to a power source for supplying the same electrical potential to each of the individual wire electrodes, wherein each individual wire electrode is mounted on individual channels formed in the resistor network such that each individual wire electrode extends from the resistor network into the first plurality of output channels;
- wherein when each of the individual wire electrodes are powered by the power source with the same electrical potential and gas is flowing through the plurality of output channels as supplied via the gas manifold, each sharp conductive point of the individual wire electrode creates an electric field gradient which pull electrons off of molecules of the gas and ionizes the electrons to form a cold plasma beam at each of the plurality of output channels under atmospheric pressure so as to decontaminate or sterilize the surface of the external object in contact with the cold plasma beams.
2 more elements
A decontamination device comprising:
- a gas manifold having an input coupled to a gas source, the gas manifold having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
- a plurality of output channels operatively formed on the first surface of the gas manifold;
- a plurality of wire electrodes, each wire electrode having a sharp conductive point, wherein an individual wire electrode of the plurality of wire electrodes is disposed in each output channel;
- at least one resistor network disposed adjacent to the second surface outside of the gas manifold and coupled to the plurality of wire electrodes, the at least one resistor network further coupled to a power source for supplying the same electrical potential to each of the plurality of wire electrodes, wherein the at least one resistor network is at least one bulk distributed resistor, the at least one bulk distributed resistor being formed of an insulating material that blended with at least one conductive component to produce a desired level of equivalent resistance throughout the at least one bulk distributed resistor,
- wherein when the plurality of wire electrodes are powered with the same electrical potential and gas is flowing through the plurality of output channels, each sharp conductive point creates an electric field gradient which pull electrons off of molecules of the gas and ionizes the electrons to form a plasma beam at each of the plurality of output channels under atmospheric pressure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.